5 Foods For Healthy Teeth (That You’ll Actually Want to Eat)

Part of living a healthy lifestyle includes good nutrition. Carrots are good for your eyes, tomatoes are good for your heart, and leafy greens are great for your liver. Aside from chewing food, teeth can actually really benefit from what we eat. Fruits and vegetables are great for our bodies, but there are some other more “fun” foods that are also great for teeth! Monroe dentist Dr. Hess encourages you to eat well for good oral health.

Apples

Too much sugary fruit or candy can erode enamel, but apples are a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth while helping your teeth along the way. Apples are also rich in vitamin C, which is an antioxidant that helps reduce inflammation. This is great for people with inflamed and irritated gums! Other foods rich in vitamin C include oranges, lemons, and broccoli.

Cheese

Who doesn’t love cheese? Foods rich in calcium, like cheese and other dairy products, are great for bone health, which is great news for teeth! Calcium is a mineral that our bodies need to help rebuild enamel. Our bodies can’t produce their own calcium, and we lose it quickly, so consuming food with calcium is essential to building strong teeth and bones.

Fish

Speaking of calcium, making sure you get enough vitamin D in your diet is important so you can actually absorb calcium! Tuna and salmon are great sources of vitamin D, which helps the body absorb calcium to fortify bones and teeth. Other nutrients in fish can help reduce the risk of gum disease, so it’s a win-win!

Oatmeal

Oatmeal and other whole grains can help lower the risk of gum disease. Be careful, though: avoid sugar-filled oatmeal options. Store-bought, pre-packaged oatmeal is often packed with sugar, which can cause cavities and feed oral bacteria that can destroy your gums. Instead, make your own plain oats and throw in some berries to make it sweeter.

Berries

Berries are loaded with nutrients that are good for our bodies and our teeth. Most are loaded with vitamin C, which can help reduce the risk of gum disease. They’re also packed with nutrients that help rebuild enamel, and blackberries might even be able to help fight off oral bacteria!

Consuming these fun, healthy foods can not only improve your dental health, but they’re great for your body overall. Make sure you’re having your teeth checked regularly as part of your dental health routine — Dr. Hess is here for you! Call 704.240.5045 today.